Chapter 288: Pray to the Shadow, and Gain the Power to Decipher Stories!
2024-03-18 Author: Great Demon Spirit
"Barely passable, I suppose." Du Wa sized up the Loki, God of Stories, a being cobbled together from who knows how many different Lokis.
From his multiversal perspective, he could see it was indeed full of flaws.
"It's like a sports car forcibly assembled from parts stripped from various vehicles. Sure, it can run, and its speed is decent, but it's covered in patches everywhere."
It wasn't pretty, nor was it particularly easy to use, but it was not unusable.
This was Du Wa's assessment of Loki.
"It seems the current you is still predominantly the Main Universe Loki. I had originally intended to create a God of Stories with the Loki from Earth-1543681 as the dominant persona, but no matter. You will have to suffice," Du Wa nodded slightly, expressing his approval of the Loki before him.
Loki's face was cold as he met Du Wa's gaze. He could already tell that Du Wa's so-called approval was, in essence, the approval of a tool.
"You approve of my usefulness?"
"Of course. Should I approve of your strength instead? At your current level, do you really think you can oppose me?" Du Wa said with a smile. "After I became a Concept God, I exhausted all my thoughts and means to finally reach where I am today. What do you have to compare with me?"
"You villain! You interfered with my Story! You meddled in my own stories, turning them into a complete mess. Though I still don't know how much you've changed, how dare you say such a thing?"
Loki suddenly flew into a rage. The God of Stories was the Story itself; he was a Concept God in his own right. And if he were the original God of Stories, even if his absolute strength wasn't that high, he at least wouldn't be looked down upon by Du Wa in such a manner.
That's right, even the God of Stories couldn't see the truly complete version of himself or know what kind of story he could write. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the God of Stories, but omniscient and omnipotent.
"Not bad, not bad. My evaluation of you has risen a little. But then again, even if you've become this so-called God of Stories that even you can't fully comprehend, if I want to capture you, I have plenty of methods. I was a Concept God long before you, so I know better how to deal with a Concept."
Du Wa took a single step and was already standing before Loki, feeling the Story that comprised his being.
This version of Loki couldn't be described with the simple terms "editor" and "reader," because not only could Loki read and create stories, he himself was the embodiment of countless stories.
A Loki like this was sufficient for Du Wa's use, as long as everything proceeded as he envisioned.
"There is no stage for you in this Multiverse. The battlefield where you will truly shine is not here," Du Wa said.
Loki sneered, "Oh? You want to send me to another Multiverse to serve your grand cause? Like Shuma-Gorath?"
"Shuma-Gorath is indeed in the remains of other multiverses, but not in the way you think... I will have use for both you and it, and the way I use you will be absolutely beyond your imagination. Of course, I'm not one to simply consume you for nothing. If you cooperate, you will surely advance further in the future, standing at a much higher position—a level you could never reach even if you risked your life for it," said Du Wa.
Loki was filled with suspicion and uncertainty.
A higher position? For Du Wa to use such words, it certainly wasn't at the multiversal level. Could it be... a megaverse, comparable to the sum of many multiverses?
But was that possible? That was a magnitude far vaster than a single Multiverse. Was this why Du Wa was starting to work outside the Multiverse, specifically sending Shuma-Gorath into the remains of several previous multiverses?
The God of Stories couldn't comprehend the tale Du Wa was telling him and thought he was talking nonsense.
Du Wa didn't explain further, nor did he need to. Loki was not yet worthy. When the time came, Loki would understand everything.
"The God of Stories... DC Comics has a similar fellow who also views an entire, vast world as a story. A collision between the two of them should bring me a pleasant surprise. But to achieve that, many steps are still required."
Du Wa mused silently.
That's right, it was Thought Robot Superman. This guy also had an interesting identity: he was the "coordinates" of the entire DC Comics world.
Whether it was Shuma-Gorath or Loki, they had, through the evolution of events, been chosen by Du Wa and were now regarded as puzzle pieces.
Once Du Wa accomplished the magnificent feat of the Great Collision, he would inevitably be the center of attention, watched by the countless gods of the two great worlds of Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Du Wa could fight against multiple multiversal-level opponents, but if he encountered beings of a far greater magnitude, his situation would become very passive.
At that time, the countless streams of information from the two great worlds would converge. Innumerable gods would instantly read the information from the other side, getting a general idea of what Du Wa had done in the opposite world. Then, Du Wa's situation wouldn't necessarily be as absolutely safe as it was now, where he could be resurrected infinitely. A setback in one world meant he could simply go to the other to start over.
Loki still wanted to struggle, but Du Wa slammed a hand down, pinning him down and effortlessly shattering the stories that constituted his being.
"No one understands Concept Gods better than I do. Give up the struggle. I see your every move."
Du Wa shook his head and launched a massive invasion of Loki's very concept.
"Wait! If you really succeed, then my Asgard..."
"You will have everything you want. What does the Asgard of the Main Universe even count for? I'll just give it back to you. When the time comes, if you wish, you can create a super-Asgard comparable to a universe at any time. As for those who died, their parts that became Xenomorphs will be returned to you. As for those who have returned to Death, we will simply force Death to hand over all their souls," Du Wa waved his hand dismissively.
The story of the God of Stories was already filled with the shape of the Xenomorph.
Not a single living Xenomorph appeared inside Loki's body, but he had indeed become a part of the Xenomorphs. The concepts of Story and Xenomorph were infinitely intertwined, completely inseparable.
At least, Loki felt that he couldn't escape the Xenomorph's corrosion with his own power.
"Was taking Thor away also part of your plan?" Loki asked with a grim face. His mood had been foul ever since Du Wa invaded the Main Universe.
"That was an accident. No one can figure out what that Gaea fellow is thinking."
Du Wa gave Loki the information that Thor was Gaea's offspring. Loki was utterly shaken.
It turned out that neither he nor Thor was born of the Mother of All Gods.
A short time later, Loki returned to the Main Universe.
From his perspective, the world, once a third-dimensional plane, had undergone a seismic transformation. He could now examine this world from an outsider's point of view at any time.
But Loki was in no mood for that. His wretched heart and ashen face said it all.
He returned to Asgard.
In a very short time, a peaceful order had been restored here, because those who wouldn't accept the order either became Xenomorphs or were sent by Xenomorphs to see Death.
"Loki!"
With a loud roar, an excited Thor charged over.
Loki frowned. He could tell with a single glance that this wasn't the Main Universe Thor. "You're the Thor from the Alien Universe?"
"As I thought, you're not the Loki from the Alien Universe? Then where did the Loki I know go? I just came back from Universe 199999 and checked the street surveillance. I saw you take him away with my own eyes! But no matter how I search, I can't find him!" Thor stared in astonishment at this brother who was both a stranger and yet vaguely familiar.
Loki cursed under his breath. He was sick of Thor. He immediately extended a finger, creating an invisible, immense force that slammed Thor's entire body into the ground. "Forget the Loki you knew. From now on, there is only me. I am the sum of all Lokis."
"What did you do to him?" Thor burst furiously from the ground, charging forward with his fists swinging, but he was easily knocked down.
Forget the Thor from the Alien Universe; even the Main Universe Thor wouldn't last more than a few rounds against the current Loki.
The struggle between the two attracted the attention of many Asgardians. They gathered around, looking at the familiar yet strange pair with complicated expressions.
In their minds, Loki had died two years ago, and Thor was missing.
"Enough! If you two want to fight, go do it in Outer Space! Senseless strife is not permitted on the continent of Asgard! That is the rule I have set!"
The Mother of All Gods stepped forward, her cold gaze looking down on the two of them.
Every single person present was a Xenomorph; Loki and Thor were the only two anomalies here.
"If you had possessed the strength to match this posture of yours when you were fighting Du Wa, Asgard's destruction would have been a little more dignified," Loki sneered.
However, he did not attack the Mother of All Gods. Instead, he vanished, leaving this place that he both hated and grieved for—the emotions from Old Loki were deeply influencing him, and similarly, the stories from other Lokis were also playing their part.
Loki had no desire to communicate with these people and went to Earth instead.
"Something is very wrong with this Loki..."
The Mother of All Gods showed a look of dread. She felt an extreme sense of oppression from this strange Loki. In the time between Loki's resurrection and his return to Asgard, what exactly had he experienced?
Or rather, what had Du Wa done to Loki?
She then looked at the frantic Thor. "You are from the Alien Universe. If this isn't an act of a victor declaring sovereignty over the vanquished, then leave as soon as possible. Also, stop using that axe of yours to activate the Main Universe's Rainbow Bridge. I will strip you of that ability in the Main Universe."
The Thor from the Alien Universe was not welcome here. Besides, this Thor's strength was nothing to write home about. While not weak, he was mediocre overall.
"Loki... what in the world happened?" Thor couldn't understand what had happened to Loki, but he faintly realized that the Loki he knew had likely joined forces with the Main Universe Loki to do something insane, and that they had succeeded.
Thor began to wander the continent of Asgard. People kept coming up to talk to him, but upon realizing he wasn't the Main Universe Thor, they all shook their heads and left.
This was a typical world that had been conquered by Du Wa, a world that had submitted in word but not in spirit. Many of the unparasitized people had not truly accepted their fate. They still held onto hope, waiting for the missing Thor to save them and lead Asgard to reclaim its former glory.
But... the era had changed. Thor had never seen a world that could escape the Xenomorphs after they arrived. They simply didn't have the strength, and that included the Main Universe. Hadn't it, too, welcomed the era of the Xenomorph?
"Forever holding onto hope, yet forever sprinting down the path to despair." Thor sighed. Before long, the entire Multiverse would completely enter an unprecedented era.
The era of the Xenomorph.
Thor knew Du Wa very well. Back in the Alien Universe, he had met Du Wa before his true emergence and had even felt a heartbreak so intense he couldn't breathe when Du Wa took his hammer.
He knew Du Wa would never stop. He would surely stand above everything within his line of sight.
Thor didn't know how long he wandered. On the continent of Asgard, he wasn't exactly despised by all, but it was close enough.
But on this day, a power took the initiative to find Thor.
"Thor from the Alien Universe, you have held onto the conviction in your heart and have not defected to the God of Xenomorphs to become a Xenomorph."
"We have observed you for a long time and have confirmed that you are the spokesperson we seek. You will receive supreme divine power."
"A spokesperson just like the Scarlet Witch."
Thor listened to these whispers, looking down in astonishment as his body was entwined and devoured by a shadow that came from nowhere. In the blink of an eye, he was in a Dimension glittering with countless chains of divine power.
"This is the inside of the World Tree? Then you are... the ancient shadow gods?" Thor was shocked and assumed a wary stance.
He knew the ancient shadow gods all too well. The ancient shadow gods of the Alien Universe had tried to control Du Wa, only to be counter-killed. Their divine power was even bestowed upon Jane Foster by Du Wa.
"Very good. It seems you are not completely ignorant of us. In which universe did you learn of our existence?"
"It must have been the Alien Universe. With his strength, he's completely incapable of freely roaming other universes."
"This is unfortunate news. We don't know what our counterparts in the Alien Universe did, or how much of their power they leaked. But do not worry. No matter how powerful they are, they can't possibly compare to us, who control the World Tree of the Main Universe."
Several colossal, hundred-meter-tall black shadows conversed.
Thor said, "I have been reading the history of the Main Universe recently. As far as I know, you were all killed by my Main Universe counterpart long ago."
"Killed? No, you underestimate us gods. 'Ancient shadow gods' is not actually the correct term. We are 'the gods who are above all other gods.' Rune King Thor was not qualified to truly erase us. Do not compare those weak ancient gods from other universes to us."
"We are immortal, coexisting with the World Tree. And the World Tree was created by the great Demiurge, a being who is above even the Four Chaos Gods!"
"Thor, pray to us, and we shall grant you the strongest power of the World Tree, giving you the qualification to investigate the truth of all things, including deciphering Loki's secret!"
(end of chapter )